The Rigidity of Masculinity

  The hyperbolic nature of Ken's masculinity in Barbie illustrates the fragility of traditional masculinity, and its failure to evolve in modern society. In Barbie Land, the Barbies are in charge of all forms of government, and any important jobs that need to be done. In contrast, the Kens have no purpose other than to be an accessory for their respective Barbies. Throughout the movie, Ken bases his self-worth on Barbie, and how he can be useful to her. Essentially, Ken's vision of himself depends on how he can assist Barbie, and he lacks any identity outside of his attempts to be seen as her protector and provider. This same idea is seen in "A Doll's House" through the dynamic between Nora and Torvald. Torvald's self-worth and view of his masculinity depended heavily on his ability to properly provide for Nora to support his image as the man of the house. When speaking to Nora in Act III, he states "Time and again I've wished you were in some terrible danger, just so I could stake my life and soul and everything for your sake," (Ibsen, 141). Torvald's words imply that he feels some sense of purpose and self-worth when he is able to provide for Nora and act as her savior. Similarly, in Barbie, Ken joins Barbie on her journey to the real world in order to feel useful to Barbie and to fulfill his self-appointed purpose of supporting and providing for her. For both Ken and Torvald, when they are unable to be of use of Barbie and Nora respectively, they seem to struggle with the idea of no longer having a purpose. When discovering that Nora had gone behind his back to borrow money rather than consulting him, Torvald's insecurities came to light, implying that his self-worth heavily depended on staying within the box of traditional masculinity. He tells Nora "Now you've wrecked all my happiness -- ruined my whole future," (Ibsen, 142). Similarly, when Ken discovered patriarchy, he had his first experience of a male-dominated world, and he spread patriarchal ideology to the other Kens. Although the Kens now held the power in Barbie Land, their lives and personalities were still as shallow as they were at the beginning of the movie. Under the influence of the patriarchy, the Kens centered their personhood around engaging in stereotypical "masculine" activities, falling into a role that not only oppressed the Barbies, but also their ability to openly express themselves. Like Torvald, Ken no longer had a true purpose in life now that he was independent of Barbie. Ken and Torvald both reflect the fragility of traditional masculinity, and how easily it can fall apart once men are forced to be independent rather than "in charge" of a woman.  The Kens' short reign as the leaders of Barbie Land illustrates a common criticism of traditional masculinity; it enforces the idea that there is only one way to be masculine and implies that any man who deviates from the norm is not man enough. While the satirical nature of masculinity in Barbie hyperbolizes men's strict adherence to traditional masculinity, it is also a sad reflection of how masculinity has failed to modernize from traditional, patriarchal gender roles. The characterization of men in "A Doll's House" and Barbie illustrate how femininity has evolved to include more traditionally masculine roles, while masculinity has remained rigid, oppressive, and unchanging over time. The satirization of masculinity in Barbie implies that society's idea of true masculinity has not changed much since 1879.